Wobbly first bridge hammock

[Le Havre]

Hey everyone, I just switched from my ENO gathered-end to a bridge hammock (Warbonnet Ridgerunner). Tried it last weekend and loved the flat lay, but it felt kind of tippy when I moved around.

I set it up with the spreader bars between two solid trees, but it still feels less steady than my old hammock. Is this normal for bridge hammocks, or did I hang it wrong?
Heard the Jacks ‘R’ Better bridge hammocks can feel the same at first, so maybe it’s just practice. Any tips to make it feel more stable so I don’t roll out at night?

Thanks! John here.

 

[cougarmeat]

John, what was your hang angle? Note that when getting in/out of the bridge, it helps - A LOT - to brace with a hand on each edge. If you don't, google the Youtube, "Lucy in Alaska hammock". I think a link to that has already been posted in a thread here.

Though it may feel unstable, you have to lean way over to flip completely. If you've just switched, I'd say you are still in the "getting used to" stage.

If you move the hang angle from 20°-25° down to 30°-35° it may feel more stable, but less "flat".

I think you'd really have to work at it to roll out at night. You might give yourself a test. How many nights in a row would you need to sleep in the bridge and not roll out, before you could let go of that concern?

There is legitimate concern, and there is fear.
From Dune:
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

 

[Alan]

Appreciate the detailed advice here @cougarmeat! The hand‑brace trick makes a world of difference, and adjusting angles is something everyone tinkers with at first. And hey, if you do flip, you’ll have a good story for the forum archives!

 

[cougarmeat]

Alan, the "Rite of Passage" in hammock camping isn't flipping over; it's accidentally sitting in your underquilt instead of the hammock body.

It is more difficult to achieve in a bridge hammock because usually the underquilt attachment has a more precise fit. I'm thinking of the WarBonnet RidgeRunner with their Lynx underquilt. But with a Gathered End hammock and its underquilt ... welcome to the club

Here's that link to Lucy and her battle with a bridge hammock. Note that she did NOT put a hand on both edges of the bridge.


One time, on purpose, I wanted to see how those "impulse buy", 99-cent keyfob carabiners would work in the suspension line. Of course, I made sure there was soft ground under the hammock and didn't set it up as high as usual. It seemed fine when I got in, for a minute or two. And then ...